Just like me and you, the Sun-Sentinel's Michael Mayo manages to get through the work day without tape-recording people without their knowledge and consent. I'd have more respect for journalists if they all held to Mayo's credo of "hitting hard, keeping it above the belt and following the law and an ethical compass."
When I look at the names of the journalists signing the petition for Jim DeFede, all I can think is that they consider three of those things optional.
I also note the absence of the names of two prominent Herald writers: Glenn Garvin and Carl Hiaasen. I'd like to think it's because these men know it's hypocritical for a reporter to carp about lack of ethics in others if he has none himself.
UPDATE:
Terrific column by Carl Hiaasen today describing Teele. Hiaasen has no problem calling what DeFede did illegal, and repeatedly terms it as such.
UPDATE II:
Executive Editor Tom Fiedler's response to the firing:
But fundamentally, this isn't a question of the law. It's a question of how Herald journalists, and particularly our most visible and most experienced, are expected to operate.
When it comes to maintaining our integrity, we must be absolutists. There can be no parsing of ethics. We cannot be a little bit unethical.
UPDATE III:
Scratch Carl, as he affirms that laws really are for other people.
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Previous posts:
DeFede Update-O-Rama
Adios, Jim
Something else that has struck me about this - DeFede says he was talking to Teele and then pushed the record button. That seems to indicate he had the tape recorder set up on his telephone line before the call. How many other people has he taped? Maybe it was his usual, or frequent, practice and when management found out, they fired him. Maybe he'd even been cautioned about taping before.
I say this because I'm a little surprised he was fired. I would have thought suspension to be a more normal punishment - unless he had given management trouble before.
Posted by: Juan Paxety at August 1, 2005 10:30 AMThat's why Michael Mayo said he saves himself the temptation and doesn't have a recording device on his telephone. Not too likely this was the first time DeFede stuck out his finger and hit the record button.
You know, Juan. It cracks me up that you'd take it as given that'd he just get a reprimand. I'm never allowed to break the law at my job.
Posted by: Donnah at August 1, 2005 10:45 AM